f you’ve been reading Smaggle for a while, you’ll know that I’m a productivity junkie. I want things done well and fast, pretty much all the time. However I’ve been tentatively dipping my toe in the Woo Woo pool a bit this year and experimenting with being mindful (I’ve even been known to meditate! I know right?) and there are a few things I’ve been doing ‘the long way’ and I’ve been loving it. Examples include…
– Hand writing the day and date in my notebook ‘diary’ and decorating the pages with inspirational quotes and stickers rather than using a regular diary
– Walking to the gym instead of driving and not panicking that it takes 2 hours out of my day
– Poaching eggs one at a time because they cook better that way
– Enjoying painting my own nails rather than getting a speed manicure at the nail salon down the road
– Taking time to eat my breakfast slowly and enjoy a hot beverage rather than bolting it down as quickly as possible to get to my desk to start the day
I actually love rushing and being busy so I have to force myself to slow down and do things mindfully but when I do, I rarely regret it. There really are hidden perks in doing things the long way…
1. It’s enjoyable
If you take the time to pack yourself a lovely lunch for work and actually take a break to unplug and enjoy it, it will slow down the pace of the day and give you time to decompress. The secret is to let go of any guilt associated with taking extra time to do things. If I walk to the gym, it’s a two hour round trip but it does wonders for my mental and physical health, so I constantly remind myself of that.
2. You make less mistakes
If you’ve got a really boring job to do like stuffing a bunch of envelopes or folding up the laundry, if you take a deep breathe and start doing the task slowly and methodically, you’ll make less mistakes and the repetitive rhythm will give you enough momentum to keep you going until the task is complete. I do this when I have to find images for a months worth of blog posts. I accept that fact that it’s going to take a few hours and I just sink in the for ride. It’s much less stressful than resisting it.
3. You remain calm
There’s nothing that will stress you out more than leaving something to the last minute and rushing around trying to get it done before your deadline passes. If you choose to do things the long way and allow enough time to complete your task, you will avoid those last minute freak outs that are terrible for your stress levels. For example if I’m baking a cake for a dinner party, I’ll do it in the early afternoon, so I can take my time and do it properly, rather than run around at the last minute trying to throw everything together.
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Is there anything that you like to do the long way? Are you a fan of taking your time?
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P.S Did you know there’s a Smaggle newsletter? And Smags on Facebook? There’s lots of cool shit in both places so make sure you go to there.
12 Comments
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Love taking my time over breakfast. It’s only muesli and a pot of green tea, but I love to sit and take my time over it. Plus, I read Smaggle, SY and mrs Woog whilst I enjoy my pot of tea! Love my morning blog reading ladies xx
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Oh lovely! What a gorgeous list of morning reads… I love that you catch up with Nikki and Woog in the morning. That just made my day!
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I love when I have time to make dinner nice and slow and get everything right – to just relish the experience. I think it’s good to slow down sometimes. I’m hoping my slightly more mindful approach might rub off on Mr Unprepared soon. He’s always forgetful and rushing about but still late for everything. I think that we believe if we’re super frantic, we must be nice and busy and productive, but the truth is, it can make us less productive and efficient x
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Oh I love that too. I have an iPad in the kitchen so I’ll pop on an episode of Mad Men and watch it while I make dinner and clean up the kitchen.
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I always enjoy things when I slow down and take my time. But you are right, it is about recognising it and allowing yourself that guilt free extra time.
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I have to be super strict with myself! I love rushing and being busy so it’s important to force myself to slow down. I’ve been really sick this week so that’s a good way to force it!
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I love long breakfasts and taking my time at the grocery shop. I’ve also been thinking of walking home from the office instead of taking the trolleybus while the weather still permits.
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Oh I love taking my time grocery shopping. That’s why I never take Mr Smags with me. He likes to get in and out ASAP and I like to wander around and read all the labels!
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I would love to have a slow breakfast and catch up on blog reading in the mornings…but we’re bustling out the door with our 2yo (after she has a slow breakfast and slowly gets dressed for the day)!
There are so many other things I do the long way through. And not in a positive way. A teacher once commented on my report card that I always seem to find the long solution rather than the quick & easy solution when working out a problem.
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Oh that’s lovely though! It’s like you’re always making sure that you’re super thorough with everything. 🙂
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I don’t drive so most of the time I walk to work or to meet friends. As someone who suffers from social anxiety and depression, the walk often gives me time to clear my head and relax before a tricky meeting, or psych myself up for a day at my desk. I also find that walking home for lunch breaks up the day and resets my brain, making me feel more ready to leap back into work in the afternoon (a huge perk for me as I suffer the worst three thirtyitis). Also walking might take longer, but it gives you a chance to appreciate small details, like the flowers that are starting to peek out from your neighbours gardens and the cute birds that are munching at the seed pods in the trees.
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I definitely! I get really bad travel sickness so even though walking takes longer it gets me to m designation in better health!
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